SB 610: Senator Wiener thinks Fire Hazard Maps are impediments to housing.

We need to send letters of opposition by August 7th!

There is a new and dangerous assault on local control. Senator Wiener is not content to merely wrest zoning from cities. He is now targeting Fire Hazard Severity Zone Maps as “impediments” to housing. SB 610 upends local considerations — and would eliminate the State Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps.

Wiener bluntly states the reasons to ditch a functioning system in his SB 610 Fact Sheet:

“to keep localities from weaponizing the fire hazard mapping as anti-housing or anti- development tools.”

“LRA (Local Responsibility Area) maps can functionally result in restrictions on growth in those areas through imposing costly building standards, increased disaster planning and mitigation requirements, or increasing home insurance premiums.”

“Local jurisdictions have the ability to misuse this process and make the majority of their community a high or very high FHSZ (Fire Hazard Severity Zone) map that could impact housing development.”

Letters sent by August 7th will have greatest impact. The Assembly floor vote happens soon after and is the last firewall before the Governor’s signature. As many Assembly Members as possible must be contacted. If you know people in different districts across the state who will write to the governor and their Assembly Members, please forward!

You can also send this information to your cities and ask them to send a letter of opposition.